NBC 7’s Dave Summers talks with Cal Fire officials and NBC 7’s Danya Bacchus shares how residents were handling the fire.
Firefighters battled a fire in a North County riverbed Wednesday that threatened dozens of homes.
A close call is simply the best way to describe it, according to Cal Fire officials.
The thick brush and steep terrain created potential for an outcome much worse then what Deer Springs residents experienced overnight.
The fire was reported at 8:10 p.m. near Platanus and Gracilior drives in unincorporated Escondido, east of Interstate 15 and northwest of Valley Center.
Flames were marching up the embankment of the riverbed along Circle R Road at Platanus Drive. The fire was headed toward 50 to 60 homes.
Residents were warned but evacuations were voluntary.
Local
Cal Fire crews stopped the blaze's spread at about 15 acres, though it had the potential to be much worse with the thick brush and steep terrain in the area.
Cal Fire spokesperson Kendal Bortisser said it’s misleading to believe that if it’s cool outside we’re out of the woods.
“The fuels are still dry. The fuels still have not gotten any rain, or water, or moisture for a long time,” said Bortisser.
No structures burned. Deputies arrested two teenagers, accused of sparking the fire with a Molotov cocktail.
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